One of the great things about canoeing is that you don’t have to travel hundreds or thousands of miles to do it. Yes, there are many wonderful exotic trips out there, but there are many rivers, streams, and lakes to explore on one-day and weekend excursions very close to Metropolitan Chicago.
If you don’t own a canoe, buy one or rent one. The Chicagoland Canoe Base near Irving Park and Narragansett has a huge fleet of canoes for rent. You can also get advice on local waters or on equipment.
Some of the big outdoor stores in the area also sell canoes. REI and EMS both carry various kinds of personal watercraft in local stores. The two companies pride themselves on having people on hand who use the equipment they sell, so you can talk canoeing there.
Many rivers have outfitters nearby that will not only rent you a canoe, but also will drop you off at the put-in point and pick you up again when you reach the take-out. Various state tourist bureaus, particularly Wisconsin and Michigan, will list the canoe outfitters in their territory.
The rivers listed are my personal favorites. I like to paddle down a river, enjoying the scenery and the day. It’s a great way to get away from things.
For more specific information on these rivers and others, check the river guidebooks on sale in most canoe stores. I’m fond of Phil Vierling’s river guidebooks, which give you an almost stone-by-stone description.
One-day trips near Chicago
Chicago River: There are great trips all along the Chicago, with tremendous variety. You can paddle in the park-like atmosphere of the Skokie Lagoons or through the bustle of downtown Chicago.
Mazon River: Near Coal City, this fast-moving stream gives you quite a ride, complete with a small rapid (or large riffle) to give newcomers a taste of whitewater. You can explore nearby strip mines as well, and the river has some amazing fossil beds. Be aware that the Mazon gets very low in the summer. As the spring runoff disappears, you may find the river too shallow for pleasant paddling.
Kankakee River: The Kankakee is a wide prairie river an hour or so south of Chicago. Reed’s Canoe Rentals in Kankakee can outfit you and drop you off and pick you up. There are several stretches to run, but my choice is the one that starts right in Kankakee and wanders past state parks.
Lower Fox: I don’t recommend the Upper Fox because of all the powerboat traffic and the dams along the towns west of Chicago, but a little further south you can find some quite pretty stretches. Yorkville to Wedron makes for a good trip, although it might be a little long for newcomers. The sandstone bluffs just above Wedron provide some great scenery, the kind you don’t expect to find in Illinois.
Des Plaines River: This is a wide, easy river that offers a getaway trip through mostly forest preserves. The Des Plaines River Marathon in May sees about 1,000 craft run nineteen miles from Oak Spring Road in Libertyville to Dam Number Two in Des Plaines. Pick a portion of that for your trip, unless you want an endurance test.
Little Calumet: This streams flows quickly through the Indiana Dunes. It can be a fun run, if you know what you’re doing. Check with the state and national park officials in the area for more details.
Weekends near Chicago
Kickapoo River: My personal favorite is the Kickapoo just southeast of LaCrosse, Wisconsin. The name means "crooked water" and it lives up to its name as it winds back and forth. The river is fun any time, but it can be spectacular in the fall, with its brightly colored maples and other trees covering the rolling hills. There are liveries in the area, like Mr. Duck in Ontario, Wisconsin. Wildcat Mountain State Park can provide a place to camp.
Baldwin, Michigan: Three lovely streams are available in the mostly forested area: the Pere Marquette, the Little Manistee, and the Pine. All three are fast moving streams with sharp curves to maneuver around. If you think you know how to steer a canoe, these rivers will set you straight as they toss you into the brush on the curves or sweep you into obstacles that have you sitting on the river bottom contemplating what happened. There are several liveries in the area.
Wisconsin River: A wide river that moves faster than you think. West of Madison, there a many great weekend runs that let you camp overnight on one of the many sandbars along the way. Outfitters abound, including Rutabaga, a canoe shop in Madison.
Black River: Above and below Black River Falls, this stream is interesting and remote. It’s 275 miles away, though, so you may want to save it for a long weekend.
There are lots more, but these streams can keep you busy for years.